Chapter 123: Pre-Match Focus
Friday, August 6, 2010
Four days had passed since the squad's last 11v11 training match.
Now, on the night before Crawley's League One opener, the team gathered at The George Hotel.
Niels pulled his pickup into the gravel lot as the afternoon sky darkened. Tomorrow's match against Charlton was looming, tying a nervous knot in his chest.
With kickoff just hours away, the adrenaline was already kicking in. Everyone knew this game would set the tone for the season.
Tonight was all about sharpening the squad's focus going over tactics and getting everyone on the same page. With Pogba and Freeman finally clicking, Niels hoped this meeting would lock in the team's confidence.
He grabbed his worn clipboard, packed with scouting reports on Charlton's lineup. He had highlighted Pogba and Freeman as the engine of the midfield.
